1905 Semi - Cannot drill through wall connecting to next door?

Soldato
Joined
31 May 2005
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Location
Nottingham
Cordless drill and SDS drill (albeit the bits it came with).. the cordless drill has decent masonary Bosch bits, new ones too.

Can through the initial layer of plaster, then just no progress.

Thinking back, had the same problem in the hallway years ago but put it down to cheap drill bits and gave up, now having same problem in another room in the house.

Why is the wall connecting to our neighbour soo tricky?

Thanks.
 
Cordless drill and SDS drill (albeit the bits it came with).. the cordless drill has decent masonary Bosch bits, new ones too.

Can through the initial layer of plaster, then just no progress.

Thinking back, had the same problem in the hallway years ago but put it down to cheap drill bits and gave up, now having same problem in another room in the house.

Why is the wall connecting to our neighbour soo tricky?

Thanks.

cordless drills are pants for a proper drilling job. I use my ryobi for most tasks but I have a cheap corded drill I got for £20 for the odd heavy job every few years.
 
Corded SDS?

Yes, it is.

I put it into hammer action and that did the job.

Will post a pic of the dust, anyone have idea what it is please?

TuXb3Kn.jpg
 
Can’t beat a bit of hammer action. I remember on our old cottage my dad having to switch to a metal drillbit once, must have been some kind of metal component in the old rock used to build the wall.
 
Is OP making a Gloryhole to next-door, then he will get some hammer action? :p
No comment.

I wonder what your neighbours think is going on?
They will find out in a short while, see above :p

To be honest, I was expecting a knock on the door.

Yeah it is just regular engineering bricks - hammer action mandatory.
Thanks, good to know what it is. Pretty tough to get through, at least I know what am dealing with now.

I guess is all the same along that side of the house. When we first moved in, I tried to put up a coat hanger with some cheap drill bits, I gave up :)

It is 7ft up though which surprised me but I know nothing about how to build a house so could have been 12ft up and will still have surprised me.

Can’t beat a bit of hammer action. I remember on our old cottage my dad having to switch to a metal drillbit once, must have been some kind of metal component in the old rock used to build the wall.

Something about old houses compared to contemporary ones with modern materials etc, am sure the modern materials are better but older houses seem more "solid".

We're you trying to get through on just drilling then, with no hammer?
Yes. The 18v cordless did not do it, even on hammer.

The SDS did not do much better on drill but when engaged the hammer, stuff started happening :)

First time have used the SDS, had it for years. I likey :) Definitely my weapon of choice from now on. Normally the cordless is adequate as long as you are using decent bits.

Live and learn.

Thanks all.
 
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Something about old houses compared to contemporary ones with modern materials etc, am sure the modern materials are better but older houses seem more "solid".

The oldest parts had about a metre thick wall of just rock. Terrible insulation, but ridiculously strong. It’s hilarious how easy it is to drill from the inside to the outside of our new build house.
 
I used a Bosch SDS 24v cordless at work for everything and never had a problem with hard to drill wall's - The longest drill bit I had was 18" and I had to order a longer one for one job in a old large mansion.

Father in law had hard bricks in his council house - he said one bit per hole - SDS no problem.
I now have a Lidl special SDS mains drill for those sort of holes
 
Something about old houses compared to contemporary ones with modern materials etc, am sure the modern materials are better but older houses seem more "solid".
The only things modern build houses are better at, are thermal efficiency & profit margins.

Even a cheap SDS drill in rotary hammer mode should go though without too many problems.

What size hole are you trying to drill? Have you started small & enlarging?

Both my cheap corded Titan SDS & my 18V cordless Dewalt SDS would go though pretty much any material, but I'd still start with a <10mm hole initially, before enlarging to whatever size was needed (maybe even with an additional step, depending on how big I was going), as it's easier going & generally neater.
 
Is OP making a Gloryhole to next-door, then he will get some hammer action? :p

Maybe a personal private letterbox? :O
OP did mention about a semi!

I remember my post here about drills. Thankfully a battery hammer drill was all I needed
 
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